Arizona State University's basic writing "Stretch Program" has now been in existence for more than ten years. Statistical data for nearly 8,000 "Stretch Program" students continues to indicate that the program helps a range of at-risk students succeed. This is true, also, for students from under-represented groups, who comprise…

Unless questions about student performance and student retention can be answered and unless educators are proactive in finding and publicizing such information, basic writing programs cannot determine if what they are doing is working. Hard data, especially from underrepresented groups, is needed to support these programs. At Arizona State…

Currently the overall philosophy of many basic writing programs is one of inclusion rather than exclusion. First-year students are seen as part of the writing community, instead of continuing the mindset where students were sent off to "take this remedial class and then you'll be ready for English 101." At Arizona State University (ASU)…

For many years, Arizona State University (ASU) allowed its basic writers into its standard English (ENG) 101 course, only after they took ENG 071, a remedial class offered by a local community college. However, it soon became obvious to English Department faculty that the remedial grammar-focused class was not giving this group of students the…